On the surface, The Royle Family appeared to be humdrum and low on incident - but such ordinary appearances belie the fact that it was a groundbreaking work of exceptional comedy invention.

The Royle Family has been a British comedy favourite for almost three decades, but it can be easy to forget that it is more than just the original Gogglebox template. First broadcast on 14 ...

Almost nothing happens in “The Royle Family.” Over the course of 25 episodes, we occasionally pop into two other rooms of the central family’s house in Manchester, England — the dinner ...